Knicks beat Bobcats again on Thanksgiving Eve

APRaymond Felton (2) Amar'e Stoudemire and the Knicks bottled up D.J. Augustin (14) and the Bobcats to sweep a home and home set.

By MIKE CRANSTON

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Raymond Felton had 23 points and 13 assists against his former team, Amare Stoudemire added 20 points and six blocks, and the New York Knicks beat the Charlotte Bobcats 99-95 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight win.

With New York leading by two, Felton ripped a rebound away from Tyrus Thomas. Danilo Gallinari then hit the clinching free throws with 5 seconds left for the Knicks, who reached .500 and secured their longest winning streak since the 2005-06 season.

Thomas had 26 points and 11 rebounds for Charlotte, which cut a 14-point deficit to one in the closing seconds. But Stephen Jackson's driving layup was blocked by Stoudemire before Landry Fields hit one free throw with 10 seconds left.

Wilson Chandler added 21 points off the bench and some big hoops to thwart Charlotte's comeback bid as the Knicks continued their surge following a six-game losing streak.

Jackson scored 18 points, but was 7 of 20 from the field and the Bobcats got another subpar game from Gerald Wallace, who as held to eight points on 4-of-10 shooting as the Bobcats watched Felton celebrate.

Felton's first game back in Charlotte since the Bobcats didn't try to re-sign him in the offseason was a sweet one. He hit 9-of-18 shots and overcame six turnovers to deliver the Knicks their second win over Charlotte in two nights.

A self-proclaimed "country boy" from tiny Latta, S.C., Felton won a national championship at North Carolina and was the fifth overall pick of the Bobcats in 2005. But after his fifth season ended with him being dominated by Orlando's Jameer Nelson in the playoffs, the Bobcats didn't offer him a contract.

Charlotte's salary-cap situation - owner Michael Jordan desperately wanted to get under the luxury tax threshold - played a major role in Felton leaving the Carolinas for the first time in his life.

"It wasn't really about me not doing my job," Felton said before the game.

Felton said he "stopped counting" after securing 100 tickets for family and friends. His mother, father and young son sat courtside.

"It's an emotional thing seeing everybody," he said.

Introduced first with the Knicks, Felton got polite applause from a crowd that was getting seated.

Behind Felton's 3 and consecutive layups and Stoudemire's work inside, the Knicks built an 81-67 lead late in the third quarter before Charlotte rallied in the fourth.

With coach Mike D'Antoni furious with New York's defense, Augustin beat Felton for a backdoor layup to cut the lead to 87-86 with 4:15 left. But the Knicks never gave up the lead.

Larry Brown was in his lone miserable season in New York the last time the Knicks won this many in a row. Now he's dealing with trouble in Charlotte.

Brown benched starter center Nazr Mohammed - he didn't play at all - for Thomas and a small lineup. Thomas hit 11-of-20 shots, but the Bobcats couldn't overcome another slow start.

Known for his suspect shooting in Charlotte, Felton drilled a 3-pointer and then had consecutive driving layups. The second he drove past Boris Diaw in transition and avoided Wallace's block attempt to put New York up 68-61.

Brown immediately called a timeout and Felton flashed a wide smile as he jogged to the bench.

Notes: Gallinari missed his first free throw of the night, ending his streak of 43 straight, one shy of Chris Duhon's team record. ... Brown is a big fan of second-round pick Fields, who is starting for the Knicks. "I almost went to Stanford, so for four years he's been my favorite," Brown said. ... Brown isn't happy the Bobcats have 22 sets of back-to-back games, one behind Atlanta and Chicago for the most in the NBA. "The Lakers only have 12 (actually 13). Anybody write that? Figure that one out," Brown said. ... Brown hopes Knicks president Donnie Walsh sticks around as he recovers from hip-replacement surgery. "Donnie is as good as anybody we have in our league," Brown said.